Notes Used in Drum Beats
The note values most commonly used in drum notation are the quarter note, the eighth note and the sixteenth note. Most drum beats and patterns are made up of combinations of some or all of these note types.
Playing the Snare Drum
Here is a note reading exercise which features whole notes, half notes and quarter notes played on the snare drum. Snare drum notes are written in the third space of the staff. Listen carefully as you play and make sure all your notes are even in volume. Use a metronome or drum machine and count out loud as you play.
There are several ways to play this example. First, alternate the hands RLRL and then reverse them (LRLR). Once you can do this strongly and evenly at a reasonable tempo, play the example with one hand at a time (RRRR etc and LLLL etc). This will help to prepare you for actual drum beats and fills.
This example uses half and quarter rests along with the notes. Remember to keep an even tempo and count out loud as you play. Counting is very important for drummers, as the rest of the band will be relying on you to keep solid time, even if they make mistakes! Counting out loud right from the beginning, along with the use of a metronome or drum machine is the best way to develop a good sense of time.
Playing the Bass Drum
To be a good drummer, it essential to have good control of all four limbs. It is therefore worth isolating each limb and doing exercises to improve its accuracy and endurance. The following example is played on the bass drum with the right foot. Bass drum notes are written in the first space of the staff. Make sure your notes are even in volume and use a metronome to be sure that your timing is accurate. As always, count out loud as you play.
Now try alternating between the bass drum and the snare drum. There are several ways of playing the snare drum part of this example. First, use the left hand only on the snare drum. Then use the right hand only, and finally alternate the hands. Keep your counting even and listen carefully to your metronome to make sure your playing is in time with it.
Playing the Tom Toms
The following example moves between the snare drum and the three tom toms (usually just called toms). Notice the position on the staff of the notes indicating each of the toms. Use the left hand on the snare drum and the right hand on the toms.
Experiment with other combinations of the snare drum and toms. In this example, the right hand plays the floor tom, while the left hand moves between the snare drum and the other two toms.
Playing the Cymbals
The following examples involve the use of the ride and crash cymbals. Each of these has a different sound and is used for a different purpose in music. Generally cymbals ring for longer than drums (except for the closed hi-hats) and are used for more sustained sounds.
The next example makes use of the ride cymbal and the snare drum. Listen as you play and notice that the ride cymbal rings for a long time, while the snare drum doesn’t ring much at all after it has been hit. (* Note - cymbals are usually indicated with an X instead of a notehead, but the whole note has been used here to show that the cymbal keeps ringing.
This example uses both the ride cymbal and the crash cymbal. The example also contains whole rests. Listen to the difference in sound between the ride cymbal and the crash cymbal.
This example makes use of the ride and crash cymbals, the snare drum and the small and medium toms. Once again, be sure to count out loud as you play. All the drum notes are played with the left hand, while all the cymbal notes are played with the right hand.
Using the Whole Drumkit
To finish this lesson, here is a drum solo which makes use of all the drums and cymbals you have been using and all the note values you have learned so far. In this example, the ride cymbal is indicated with an x. This is the traditional method of indicating a note to be played on a cymbal. Practice the solo slowly with a metronome until you are more confident.
